Maitake Mushroom for PCOS: Can It Help You Ovulate?

observational-study PMID: 21034160

Quick Summary: Research suggests that Maitake mushroom extract might help women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) ovulate. In a study, some women taking Maitake extract alone or with a common fertility drug, clomiphene citrate, were able to ovulate.

Can Maitake Mushrooms Help PCOS?

This study looked at whether Maitake mushroom extract (specifically, a part of the mushroom called the SX-fraction or MSX) could help women with PCOS ovulate. PCOS is a hormonal disorder that can make it difficult to get pregnant. The researchers compared Maitake extract to a common fertility drug called clomiphene citrate (CC). They also tested a combination of both treatments.

What The Research Found

Maitake Alone: About 77% of women taking Maitake extract alone ovulated. However, when looking at the number of cycles, only about 42% of cycles resulted in ovulation.

Clomiphene Citrate Alone: About 94% of women taking clomiphene citrate alone ovulated. About 70% of cycles resulted in ovulation.

Maitake and Clomiphene Together: For women who didn't respond to either treatment alone, combining Maitake extract with clomiphene citrate helped some of them ovulate.

Study Details

Who was studied: 80 Japanese women with PCOS.

How long: Up to 12 weeks for treatment with either Maitake or clomiphene alone, and up to 16 weeks for the combination therapy.

What they took: Some women took Maitake extract alone, some took clomiphene citrate alone, and some took both. The exact dosage of Maitake extract was not specified in the summary.

What This Means For You

Natural Option: Maitake mushroom extract might be a natural option to help you ovulate if you have PCOS.

May Help if Other Treatments Fail: If clomiphene citrate doesn't work for you, adding Maitake extract might help.

Talk to Your Doctor: Always talk to your doctor before trying any new supplements, especially if you are trying to get pregnant. They can help you decide if Maitake extract is right for you.

Study Limitations

More Research Needed: This was a small study, and more research is needed to confirm these findings.

Not a Cure-All: Maitake extract may not work for everyone.

Specific Population: The study was done on Japanese women, so the results may not be the same for everyone.

Dosage Unknown: The exact amount of Maitake extract used in the study wasn't specified.

No Safety Data: The study didn't report on any potential side effects of Maitake extract.

Key Findings

MSX monotherapy achieved an ovulation rate of 76.9% (20/26 patients), while clomiphene citrate (CC) had a higher rate of 93.5% (29/31 patients) by patient analysis (not statistically significant).
Cycle-based analysis showed lower efficacy: 41.7% (30/72 cycles) for MSX vs. 69.9% (58/83 cycles) for CC (p = 0.0006).
Combination therapy (MSX + CC) rescued ovulation in 7/7 patients who failed MSX alone and 6/8 patients who failed CC alone.
8 patients with prior CC failure received combination therapy from baseline, though ovulation outcomes for this subgroup were not quantified.

Study Design

Type: Observational open-label trial (non-randomized, uncontrolled).
Sample: 80 Japanese patients with PCOS (72 new patients; 8 with documented CC failure).
Groups:
Monotherapy: 72 patients randomized to MSX or CC for 12 weeks.
Combination therapy: 18 patients who failed monotherapy + 8 CC-failure patients (total 26) received MSX + CC for up to 16 weeks.
Duration: 12 weeks for monotherapy; 16 weeks for combination therapy.
Outcome assessment: Ovulation confirmed via ultrasonography.

Dosage & Administration

The study details provided do not specify the exact dosage of MSX or CC administered.
Administration methods (e.g., oral vs. injectable) and dosing frequency were not reported in the given summary.

Results & Efficacy

Patient-based ovulation rates:
MSX: 76.9% (20/26 patients).
CC: 93.5% (29/31 patients) (p = NS, not significant).
Cycle-based ovulation rates:
MSX: 41.7% (30/72 cycles).
CC: 69.9% (58/83 cycles) (p = 0.0006, statistically significant).
Combination therapy:
7/7 MSX non-responders ovulated.
6/8 CC non-responders ovulated.

Limitations

Observational design: Lacks randomization, blinding, and placebo control, increasing risk of bias.
Small sample size: Only 26–31 patients per monotherapy group; combination groups had ≤8 patients.
Geographic specificity: Participants were Japanese, limiting generalizability to other populations.
No dosage details: Absence of dosing protocols hinders reproducibility and clinical application.
Safety data missing: Adverse effects or tolerability of MSX were not reported.
Short follow-up: Duration (12–16 weeks) may not capture long-term efficacy or risks.

Clinical Relevance

MSX alone may offer a natural alternative for ovulation induction in PCOS, though its cycle-based efficacy is notably lower than CC.
Adjunctive use: Combining MSX with CC could benefit patients resistant to clomiphene, a first-line infertility treatment.
Practical considerations: As an observational study, these results warrant confirmation in randomized controlled trials before MSX is adopted as standard care.
Target population: May appeal to PCOS patients seeking non-pharmacological options or those with CC intolerance/failure.

Note: This analysis is restricted to the study’s publicly available summary; full details (e.g., dosing, hormonal markers) may exist in the original paper. Always consult a healthcare provider before using supplements for medical conditions.